Farmworker Housing Decision Criticized

Sun., Jan. 17, 1999

From Staff

The state’s decision to revive a tent-camp program will condemn many migrant cherry pickers to substandard housing again this year, advocates for farmworker rights say.

The state Board of Health, at the request of Gov. Gary Locke, reversed Wednesday a decision it made last August to ban temporary tent camps for the cherry harvest.

In cherry camps licensed by the state in previous years, workers could camp in their own tents on growers’ property if growers provided toilets, hand-washing facilities, hot showers, coolers with ice, dry food storage containers and garbage collection.

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